Everyone likes to receive gifts. However, some gifts are easier to receive than others. It is hard to receive a gift knowing it came at great cost to the person giving. Pride can be such a stubborn thing at times. Using parables and a heart-touching story, the late Dr. Frank Pollard discussed how hard it can be to receive salvation for we are a people with much faith in ourselves even though we can't save ourselves. Enjoy the 1997 Christmas sermon posted below as Dr. Pollard preaches from Romans.
Scripture: Romans 3: 20-24
(NIV)20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (The Message Bible) But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment